Improvement in life-preserving mattresses



O. P. ROOD. Life-Preserving Mattress.

Patented Oct. 7,1879.

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INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES y g my/ NFETERS. PNOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASmNGTON. D G

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lHARLES P. ROOD, OF LA FARGEVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-PRESERVING MATTRESSE'S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,425, dated October7, 1879; application filed April 19, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. R001), of La Fargeville, in the county ofJ cfi'erson and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedLite-Preserving Mattress, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to furnish a mattress adapted for use onshipboard, and constructed so that it may be used as a life-preservingraft when required for such purpose; and the invention consists in thecombination, with a mattress of usual character, of watertight-cells orcompartments, that render the mattresses buoyantin water, and fit themfor use as a raft singly or by connecting a number of them together.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of one of myimproved mattresses partially broken open to show the construction. Fig.2 is a section on line 00 .10.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The mattress A consists of the outer coverings a, of woven or otherflexible material, such as ticking, stuffed with elastic material of anyusual kind.

Contained Within the mattress, between the stuffing material and theunder covering a, are hollow rings 0, of rubber or other suitablematerial, which rings are'eonnected together by bands d, to form rangesof air-cells extending the full width and length ofthe mattress.

By this construction the mattress, in its outward appearance and form,is adapted for ordinary use on shipboard without risk of in jury to theair-cells; and in case one or more rings are ruptured the buoyancy ofthe mattress will not be materially afl'ected. I prefer small rubberrings, as shown, but do notlimit myself to any particular size, form, ormaterial.

At one side of mattress A eyes or rings 6 are attached, and at theopposite side hooks f, by which anumber of the mattresses can beconnected together to form a raft of more or less extended surface.

These life-preservers, when used singly or connected together, can belaunched more readily than boats, and without the danger of loss byupsetting.

The described construction gives more buoyancy than can be had from corkor other materials with the same extent of surface.

The mattresses are not an extra appliance, requiring special room forstorage, but take the place of the usual mattress, and naturally willalways be on hand in sufficient number and accessible when wanted aslife-preservers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent In combination with amattress, the tubular rings 0,connected together and forming ranges of air-cells, substantially asdescribed and shown, and for the purposes specified.

CHARLES P. ROOD.

Witnesses T. D. FLANSBURGH, HOMER W. BEARDsLEY.

